WE sang, we danced, we stood in the rain and cheered. Newcastle is recovering after an epic weekend of events, with four festivals and three major sporting events drawing more than 100,000 people into the city. From the Queen of pop Kylie Minogue at A Day On The Green to Angus and Julia Stone in King Edward Park, Sally Fitzgibbons claiming her third Surfest women's event, the Knights, the Jets, jumping to The Bloody Beetroots at Camp Shortland or belting out a Leo Sayer tune 24 hours before, this weekend had something for everyone. Ponchos, gumboots and mud didn't stop a sell-out crowd from dancing the night away at Kylie Minogue's Bimbadgen concert on Saturday night. And in town, at The Drop Festival, it was wet and muddy, but it was bloody good fun. Newcastle's new music festival made its audacious debut on Saturday in the usually tranquil coastal surrounds of King Edward Park. It was part of the expanded Surfest program, but unless sliding down muddy slopes becomes part of the World Surf League tour, it was just an excuse to party to some of Australia's best indie talent. The Knights won, the Jets lost, but the city's tourism was the real victor - the biggest weekend of 2019 so far was a huge success.

Music, surfing, football: the weekend that had it all

RED HOT: Kylie Minogue at A Day On The Green, Bimbadgen on Saturday night. Picture: Simone De Peak

WE sang, we danced, we stood in the rain and cheered.

Newcastle is recovering after an epic weekend of events, with four festivals and three major sporting events drawing more than 100,000 people into the city.

From the Queen of pop Kylie Minogue at A Day On The Green to Angus and Julia Stone in King Edward Park, Sally Fitzgibbons claiming her third Surfest women's event, the Knights, the Jets, jumping to The Bloody Beetroots at Camp Shortland or belting out a Leo Sayer tune 24 hours before, this weekend had something for everyone.